US Iran Tensions Escalate With Strikes Tankers

Iran launched ballistic missiles at a base used by U.S. forces in Jordan and attacked 10 ships on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in a sharp escalation of the six-month-old conflict with the United States. The strikes followed U.S. military actions that destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, September 8, according to official statements. The U.S. military's Central Command stated it destroyed the tankers as a response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting a U.S. Navy warship twice in the preceding two days. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tehran that further attempts to target American naval assets would result in consequences, stating, "Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers." The IRGC claimed its missile attack on the base near Al Azraq in Jordan inflicted heavy damage, stating it targeted areas used for the maintenance and deployment of U.S. fighter jets. However, Jordan's military announced that its air defense systems intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas, and confirmed there were no casualties. A U.S.